Aramaic Word Study – The Power – Chula – חַילָא Cheth Yod Lamed Aleph

Luke 9:1: “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Judges 14:6: “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.”

“The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power. It soothes my doubts and calms my fears and that same blood dries all my tears. The blood that gives me strength from day to day will never lose its power.” -Andre Crouch-

I remember as a child attending the camp meetings in the Tabernacle of the old Methodist Camp grounds.  Something about that wooden tabernacle with it’s wooden benches and sawdust floors created a sound I have not heard since. Maybe because it was built before modern sound systems and acoustics were the highest priority in its designs.  Whatever it was, I will never forget the joy, the exhortation as over 400 people raised their voices in praise to God. Then again maybe it was the power of God that I felt and heard. Perhaps I am just thinking of one hymn we used to sing in that old tabernacle: “There is power, power, wonder working power, power in the blood of the Lamb.”  The old song: Power In The Blood was written by Lewis E. Jones, and was inspired by a camp meeting. Jones wrote this song in 1899 while attending Moody Bible Institute whose classmate was Billy Sunday who built wooden tabernacles across the country during his crusades. The camp meeting that inspired this song could have probably been the very tabernacle I attended as a child, at least I like to think so. 

Getting back on topic, there was just something about that song power in the blood, that fascinated me. Then when I entered the ministry, I ran across a song by Andre Crouch who wrote, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” when he was just 14 years old. Even as a child, like me, there was something that fascinated Andre Crouch about the blood of Jesus.  L.E. Jones wrote about the blood having power and Andre Crouch wrote of the blood never losing that power. 

Yet, I could find no Scripture that says there is power in the blood. But then again Scripture doesn’t have to say there is power in the blood of Jesus for anyone who has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb knows that there is power in that redemption which comes from the blood of Jesus. So, at least by association, there is power in the blood. 

But we need to define just what this power is.  In Luke 9:1 we learn that Jesus gave his disciple power and authority over demons and disease. The fact that Jesus had not yet shed his blood and still passed on that power does not bother me in the slightest.  God does not live in time and space like we do. In God’s realm that blood was already shed and the disciple knew of the joy of redemption and salvation and with a pure heart were able to receive this power. It even took the seventy disciples that Jesus sent out by surprise: Luke 10:17: “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” But then in verse 20 Jesus gives a warning of sorts: “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” I think it was Jesus’s way of saying: “Don’t let this power go to your heads.” Which may explain why we do not see such demonstrations of power today.  To maintain this power one needs a pure heart.  Look at Samson the power of God did not lie in his hair, it was in his obedience to God and a pure heart. When he got his hair cut he was only breaking his oath to God. Only it ran deeper than that, he lost his power because he shared his heart with Delilah, something he was only to share with God or someone like a spouse who was joined to him in an oath to allow God to be a third party to their relationship. 

So, the power comes only with a condition, that it be used to bring glory to God and God alone. I mean you lay hands on someone and they are healed, that is pretty heady stuff, a swollen head is very difficult to avoid.  The honor, the praise, the financial rewards can be too much for someone to take.

But never fear, that word for power in the New Testament Aramaic in Luke 9:1 is chul.  This word chul is a word which means to dance, but dance in the sense of spinning in a circle. The Jews have a dance called the Hora where they form a circle either holding hands or just dancing together in that circle showing their unity.  David chul in front of the Ark of the Covenant.   He was worshipping God in this spinning dance. Children in ancient times used to worship God by spinning in a circle. Chul also is a word for power. In other words, the power of God is tied directly into your worship of God.  When you worship God, you are giving your entire being to God and thus the power you express in worship is a power in unity with God.

We will explain this further in our Monday night Hebrew/Aramaic Bible study.  Please join us to where we will have an open discussion on the power of the blood. It will also be recorded to be viewed at any time. You can join at www.HebrewWordStudy.com.

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